NBCUniversal announced that its coverage of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics will feature expanded accessibility services, making the Games more inclusive for viewers with disability. The broadcaster said the upcoming Winter Olympics will offer more accessibility features than any previous Winter Games.
Closed captioning will be available for all Olympic events airing across NBCUniversal platforms, including the Gold Zone whip-around show on Peacock. Captioning will also be provided for digital livestreams with commentary on Peacock, NBCSports.com, and the NBC Sports app, covering all live events and full-event replays from linear broadcasts.
Audio description will be offered for viewers who are blind or have low vision through the second audio program (SAP). All coverage on the NBC network, including full-event replays, as well as the Gold Zone show on Peacock, will include audio description. NBCUniversal noted that the Milano Cortina Games will provide more audio description than any previous Winter Olympics. In a first for a U.S. broadcaster at a Winter Games, audio description on NBC will be delivered in stereo. The service will be provided by NBC Sports’ Paralympic broadcast team.
NBCUniversal is also enhancing digital accessibility across NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, and the NBC Sports app, with improvements such as keyboard navigation, colour contrast, and screen reader support. Livestreams and replays featuring audio description will allow users to select English audio description as a language option.
The expanded accessibility measures could also have positive implications for Australia, where broadcasters and digital platforms often look to major international rights holders for industry benchmarks. NBCUniversal’s approach may influence Australian networks to strengthen their own accessibility standards in livesports coverage, particularly in areas such as closed captioning, audio description, and accessible digital design. By reinforcing accessibility as a core element of broadcast quality rather than an optional feature, the initiative could support broader inclusion efforts in Australia and improve access to major sporting events for Australians who are Deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or have low vision.